Corinthian Coin of Antoninus, with Ii^thmian Cro\rn.
(■2.) Paul's epistles (as above) abound with allusions to the Greek contests, borrowed probably from the Isthmian games, at which he may well have been present during his first visit to Corinth (Conybeare and Howson, ii, 20G), These contests (o dyioi' — a word of general import, applied bv Paul, not to the fyhf, as the A.y. has it, but to the race, 2 Tim. iv, 7 ; 1 Tim, vi, 12) are minutely illustrated by his references, in which they arc used as a figure of the Christian's
GAMES
734
GAMMADLVI
course of duty and struggle with opposing influences. The competitors (i'» dyiovi'^oj-it^'oc,! Cor. ix, 25; tav dfJ\/j Ttc, 2 Tim. ii, 5) required a long and severe course of previous training (^eump. ctw/iktiici) yr^ivcwia, 1 Tim. iv, 8), during wliich a particular diet was en- forced (Tvdi'Ta tyKpaTiutTcn, SovXayojyu), 1 Cor. ix, 25, 27). In the Olympic contests these preparator}' exer- cises (jrooyv^ivdcTnaTct) extended over a period of ten months, during the last of which tliey were conducted \mder the supervision of appointed officers. The con- tests took place in the presence of a vast multitude of spectators (TriotKilfjivov I'icpoc itaoTintatv, Heb. xii, 1), the competitors being the spectacle (9iaTpov = 9ktiia, 1 Coi-. iv, 9; Oea^of-itvoi, Ileb. x, 33). The games were opened by the proclamation of a herald (^ictipvE.a(;,
1 Cor. ix, 27), whose office it was to proclaim the name and country of each candidate, and especiallv to an- nounce the name of the victor before the assembled multitude, as well as to signify the other crises of the game. Certain conditions and rules were laid down for the different contests, as, tliat no bribe be offered to a competitor ; that in boxing the combatants should not lay hold of one another, etc. ; any infringement of these rules Qdv /«/) vofiii^tujQ dOXiimj, 2 Tim. ii, 5) involved a loss of the prize, the competitor being pro- nounced disqualified (nctiicf/ioc, 1 Cor. ix, 27, "cast- away," a term that seems to jiictnre the condition of one disgraced by being adjudged unlit to enter the lists or rejected after the game was over). The judge was selected for his spotless integrity (o cIkcuoq Kpirljc;,
2 Tim. iv, 8) : his office was to decide an}^ disputes QDpalicvkno, Col. iii, 15; A. V. "rule") and to give the prize (ru /3n«/3aoj', 1 Cor. ix, 24 ; Phil, iii, 14), consisting of a crown (aricjiavoc, 2 Tim. ii, 5 ; iv, 8) of leaves of wild olive at the Olympic games, and of pine, or, at one period, ivy, at the Isthmian games. These crowns, thougli perishable (jpQapTov, 1 Cor. ix, 25 ; comp. 1 Pet. v, 4), were alwaj'S regarded as a source of unfailing exultation (Phil. iv. 1; 1 Thess. ii, 19): palm-branches wore also placed in the hands of the victors (Rev. vii, 9). Paul alludes to two only out of five contests, boxing and running, most frequently to the latter. In boxing (jrvyfiq ; compare irvK-ttuo, 1 Cor. ix, 26), the hands and arms were liound with the cesfus, a band of leather studded with nails, which very much increased the severity of the blow, and ren- dered a bruise inevitable (('(TTOTrio'^w, 1 Cor. I. c. ; vttoj- TTia=^Tu iiTTo roue o)TTaQ Tiov TiX^yCov 'ix'''h Pollux, Onom. ii, 4, 52). Tlie skill of the combatant was shown in avoiding the blows of his adversary, so that they were expended on the air (o('i/c ojq dipa el-poji', 1 Cor. l. c), or the phrase may allude to the preludial trials of comparative strength (comp. Statins, Theb. vi, 487 ; Virgil, yEneicl, iv, 370). The foot-race {I'po^iog, 2 Tim. iv, 7, a word peculiar to Paul ; comp. Acts xiii, 55; XX, 24) was run in the stadium (tj' (TTctciqj ; A.A^. "race;" 1 Cor. ix, 24), an oblong area, open at one end and rounded in a semicircular form at the otlier, along the sides of whicli were the raised tiers of seats on which the spectators sat. The I'ace was either from one end of the stadium to the other, or, in the J/- av\oQ, back again to the starting-post. There ma}- be a latent reference to the ciav\oi: in the expression «oY>/yo)' Kcn TeXiuoTip' (Heb. xii, 2), Jesus being, as it were, tlie starting-point and the goal, tlie locus a quo and the Incus ad quem of the Christian's course. The judge was stationed I))'' the goal (jrico—or; Auth.Vers. "marlc ;" Piiil. iii, 14), whicli was clearlj' visible from one end of the stadium to the other, so that the runner could make straight for it {ot<K mq d^iiXioc, 1 Cor. ix, 26). Paul brings vividly before our minds the earn- estness of the competitor, having cast off every encum- brance ((jy/i-())' «Vof)f/(f)'()i TTrt'iTtf), especially any closely-fitting robe (f ATrfo/orrfroj', Heb. xii,!; comp. Conj'beare and Howson, ii, 5i<3), holding on his course uninterruptedly (ciw/cw, Phil, iii, 12), his eye fixed on the distant goal (^dfopwvrtg, aTTf/JAfTTf, Heb. xii, 2;
xi, 26), unmindful of the space already' past (jd ^iiv OTTtcTM tTnXdi'Oavofttvoc, Plul. /. c), and stretching forward with bent body (role ct i'^nrpoaOii' tTziKTttvo- invoc), his perseverance (ti' v-iro/.ioi'i'ic, Heb. xii, 1), liis jo}' at tlie completion of the course (//(ra xapdc, Acts XX, 24), his exultation as he not only receives (tAa/3o)/, Phil, iii, 12), but actually grasps (KaroXdjiw, not "apprehend," as A.V. Phil. ; iwiXajiov, 1 Tim. vi. 12, 19) the crown which had been set apart {dnoKHTai, 2 Tim. iv, 8) for the victor. The lengtlis of the bounds (a stade or furlong apart) give some idea of the sever- ity of the trial, and serve to illustrate the meaning of the apostle when he speaks of running with patience the race set before him (i'itto/ioj'//, sustained effort). Indeed, one Ladas, a victor of the Olympic games, in the CoXiX'^c, or long race, was so exhausted by his ef- forts that, immediatel}' on gaining the honor and be- ing crowned, he j-ielded up his breath : a fact which also serves to throw light on scriptural language, as showing with what intense eagerness these aspirants (coXiYoc\od/(0(, long-runners) strove for perishing chap- lets (jpOapTvv CTi(pai'ov). — Kitto, s. v. ; Smith, s. v. ; Fairbairn, s. v. See Runner.